Thanks to Lew Mon-hung's revelations, we have been given the chance to witness some political mud-slinging over claims of promises of an Executive Council seat made during the chief executive election campaign.

When Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying delivers his maiden policy address a week from today, there is little doubt that the fingerprints of the man tasked with leading the government's think tank will be all over it.

Academics say they may shun a public policy research grant scheme because of questions about its impartiality and academic rigour, after the government took management of the fund away from scholars and gave it to the administration's top think tank.

Public servants are not known for having a strong appetite for additional work. So a department seeking to expand its roles to do more should win applause and commendation. Intriguingly, however, this is not the case for the Central Policy Unit (CPU). That the government's policy think tank has become the target of criticism suggests something is clearly amiss with its new direction.

In recent months, Hong Kong people have been complaining in unison about local politics as their frustrations boil over. Their dissatisfaction has centred on the Leung Chun-ying administration, but as the scandal over the chief executive's illegal structures continues, they are now worried whether the trusted civil service can remain neutral and effective.

The Central Policy Unit, the city's most influential think tank, intends to resume administration of a HK$20-million funding scheme from the university-linked Research Grants Council next year, the council says.

Why are we now, all of a sudden, refighting an old battle that was long settled? Didn't we painstakingly define and lock into place years ago how we differed from the mainland? That's what made it possible for capitalist Hong Kong to be reunited with communist China. Yet here we are, squabbling again over how to balance "one country" with "two systems".

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor yesterday defended the Central Policy Unit against a legislator's suggestion that the think tank was acting as an "internet police" force and denied that it could veto government appointments.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor insisted yesterday there were no plans to change the nature or role of the Central Policy Unit, as lawmakers across the political spectrum continued to question a controversial appointment to the government think tank.